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Tennessee PoliticsMon, 07 Apr 2014 14:51:50 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Former Metro Councilman Sam Coleman weighs his next movehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/former-metro-councilman-sam-coleman-weighs-his-next-move/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/former-metro-councilman-sam-coleman-weighs-his-next-move/#commentsThu, 20 Jun 2013 17:51:26 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=19655Nearly two years since the last Metro Council election and two years until the next one, a sign recently popped up in Lenox Village promoting former councilman Sam Coleman for an at-large seat.

Coleman, who represented an Antioch district on the council from 2003 to 2011, when he lost an at-large bid, said he didn’t put up the sign – a remnant of his last campaign – and doesn’t know who did. But the veteran campaigner, who also lost a state House campaign in 2010, said he will run for office again. The question is what he’ll run for.

Coleman, an attorney, said he’s intrigued by the possibility of running for a General Sessions Court judgeship next spring. He said he’ll make a decision on that race by the end of September.

If he doesn’t seek the judgeship, he’ll run for a council at-large seat again in August 2015, when all five seats will be open for the first time since 2007.

“I’m well-rested now,” Coleman said. “I’m ready to see if the public will have me again as a public servant.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/former-metro-councilman-sam-coleman-weighs-his-next-move/feed/0Neighborhood group endorses Coleman over Gottohttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/neighborhood-group-endorses-coleman-over-gotto/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/neighborhood-group-endorses-coleman-over-gotto/#commentsTue, 02 Nov 2010 22:10:44 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12431On the better-late-than-never front, the Nashville Neighborhood Defense Fund once again sent out an email to supporters about its electoral preferences on Election Day rather than during early voting.

The email says the group sent a direct mail piece to nearly 6,000 households in House District 60 last week (early voting ended Thursday) to endorse Metro Councilman Sam Coleman over fellow Councilman Jim Gotto.

The piece calls Gotto “bad for neighborhoods, bad for Nashville” because he “consistently votes for development and special interests over homeowners.” It doesn’t say anything specific about Coleman’s strengths but claims he is “the best choice to represent neighborhoods in the General Assembly.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/neighborhood-group-endorses-coleman-over-gotto/feed/1Sam Coleman-Jim Gotto race may be litmus testhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/sam-coleman-jim-gotto-race-may-be-litmus-test/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/sam-coleman-jim-gotto-race-may-be-litmus-test/#commentsTue, 02 Nov 2010 21:15:38 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12397Looking for an easy way to see how red this evening is going to be? A quick test is likely to be the race between Sam Coleman and Jim Gotto in Antioch/Hermitage.

Republicans expect to pick up at least a few seats in the state House of Representatives, but whether they get enough to ensure the election of a Republican speaker will depend on their winning at least one or two races in districts where the margin is likely to be close. A win by Gotto could be a sign that Republicans are going to make out big tonight; a victory by Coleman probably indicates that their majority will grow by five or fewer seats.

Republicans will portray any increase to its majority as a victory, but picking up just a handful of seats will still be a disappointment to some activists, who hoped the GOP would stretch its majority into well into double digits. Republicans ended the 106th General Assembly with 50 seats, while Democrats held 48 and Speaker Kent Williams served as an independent.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/sam-coleman-jim-gotto-race-may-be-litmus-test/feed/0Fairgrounds preservationists target Council members via Facebookhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/fairgrounds-preservationists-target-council-members-via-facebook/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/fairgrounds-preservationists-target-council-members-via-facebook/#commentsFri, 29 Oct 2010 14:56:05 +0000Nate Rauhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12359A Facebook group dedicated to preserving the state fairgrounds has launched a campaign against the Metro Council members who support shutting down the property and moving many of the non-fair events to the Hickory Hollow Mall.

The Save My Fairgrounds group posted the cell phone number for Metro Councilwoman Megan Barry, one of the co-sponsors of Mayor Karl Dean’s legislation to sign lease agreements at Hickory Hollow. Dean is proposing to move the flea market, Christmas Village and other regular events currently held at the fairgrounds to the former Dillard’s building inside the rundown mall in Antioch. From the group’s Facebook page:

This bill was filed by Karl Dean yesterday. If it passes, the fairgrounds is dead. The sponsors are Sam Coleman, Megan Barry, Jim Forkum and Vivian Wilhoite. Call or email these council members and tell them you are against this bill and you are disappointed in (them) for sponsoring it

The legislation is part of Dean’s larger proposal to get Metro out of the state fair business and redevelop the current property, located just off I-65 on Wedgewood Avenue. Dean has faced opposition from residents in and around Nashville who don’t want the fair or the adjoining racetrack to be closed down.

Councilman Duane Dominy, who is also running for the state House of Representatives, has filed a bill that would keep the fair operating until a plan is in place to relocate it elsewhere.

Sources say that legislation is in trouble when it is considered at next month’s meeting. When the legislation first came up for a vote, it was deferred by a 23-15 margin and the bill figures to be defeated by a similar vote next week.

No one knows yet what would move in to replace the fairgrounds. Dean’s administration has faced down criticism, even from those who seem to support redeveloping the property, for pressing forward with closing the fairgrounds without announcing what will replace it.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/fairgrounds-preservationists-target-council-members-via-facebook/feed/2What’s good for the goose …http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/whats-good-for-the-goose/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/whats-good-for-the-goose/#commentsTue, 26 Oct 2010 17:46:42 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12332A few Democrats were chuckling at the Metro Council meeting last week over a Republican flier attacking Councilman Sam Coleman, a Democrat, for going on a taxpayer-funded trip to a National League of Cities convention in Florida two years ago.

I don’t have a copy of the flier, which appeared to use excerpts from a story I wrote about the trip in November 2008. But the Tennessee Republican Party’s page for Councilman Jim Gotto, who is competing with Coleman for the open state House District 60 seat, repeats the attack:

While Tennessee families were struggling, Sam Coleman took a $20,000 taxpayer-funded junket to Florida. When asked about the trip, Republican Jim Gotto said ‘with the situation we’re in, I think it’s a very poor choice.’

Why the chuckles? Councilman Duane Dominy, a Republican running for another House seat, went on the same trip. Dominy and Coleman were in a group of 13 council members – and two council aides – who went to Orlando for the four-day conference, which Councilman Ronnie Steine called “a source of tremendous ideas for the city of Nashville over the years.”

The council budget covered the cost of the trip, which exceeded $20,000, including $1,426 each for Coleman’s and Dominy’s registration, airfare and four nights at a hotel.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/whats-good-for-the-goose/feed/2Jim Gotto led Sam Coleman in campaign cash on hand through Septemberhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/jim-gotto-led-sam-coleman-in-campaign-cash-on-hand-through-september/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/jim-gotto-led-sam-coleman-in-campaign-cash-on-hand-through-september/#commentsThu, 14 Oct 2010 18:33:14 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12267Sam Coleman raised a bit more money in the third quarter than Jim Gotto in the state House District 60 race between two Metro councilmen, but Gotto finished September with more than twice as much money in the bank, their campaign finance disclosures show.

Coleman, the Democratic nominee, raised $52,640, spent $29,832 and wound up with $30,351 on hand as of Sept. 30. Gotto, the Republican candidate, raised $49,904, spent $5,547 and finished the period with $68,223 in his campaign account. Election Day is Nov. 2, and early voting started Wednesday.

Coleman’s money includes $2,000 from Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors and seven fellow council members (Neighbors gave $1,000 of that), as well as $500 from state Rep. Ben West Jr., whom he hopes to succeed, and $1,000 from developer Mack McClung, whose Vastland Realty Group is trying to redevelop the old Starwood Amphitheater property in Coleman’s district.

Gotto got $500 from Councilwoman Karen Bennett and several contributions from Republicans in state government, including Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who gave $1,000 in September, after losing the primary in the governor’s race.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/jim-gotto-led-sam-coleman-in-campaign-cash-on-hand-through-september/feed/1Gang of 16 supports Sam Coleman with fund raiserhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/gang-of-16-supports-sam-coleman-with-fund-raiser/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/gang-of-16-supports-sam-coleman-with-fund-raiser/#commentsWed, 13 Oct 2010 15:32:05 +0000Michael Casshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12243Well, now we know where at least 42 percent of the other 38 Metro Council members stand in the state legislative race between councilmen Sam Coleman and Jim Gotto.

Sixteen council members plan to throw a $25-a-head fund raiser for Coleman – the Democrat running to succeed state Rep. Ben West – on Oct. 21. Jeff Yarbro, who narrowly lost a Democratic state Senate primary this year, also is among the hosts, along with former and possibly future council candidate Brady Banks.

Coleman represents part of Antioch in the council, while Gotto, who’s the Republican candidate for the House District 60 seat, represents Hermitage.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/gang-of-16-supports-sam-coleman-with-fund-raiser/feed/0Coleman, Gotto teamed up to fight nondiscrimination ordinancehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/coleman-gotto-teamed-up-to-fight-nondiscrimination-ordinance/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/coleman-gotto-teamed-up-to-fight-nondiscrimination-ordinance/#commentsMon, 27 Sep 2010 15:21:53 +0000Nate Rauhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=12075Before they were opponents in the District 60 House race, Councilmen Sam Coleman and Jim Gotto were allies in the fight against an update to Metro’s nondiscrimination ordinance.

Councilwoman Megan Barry’s update to the nondiscrimination ordinance passed through Council with a 24-15 vote after months of tough debate and maneuvering by opponents, especially Coleman and Gotto.

The duo co-sponsored an alternative nondiscrimination ordinance, which said Metro would not discriminate for any “non-merit factor,” but suspiciously excluded gender identity as an example of such a factor. After the bill was amended to include gender identity, the legislation was ultimately withdrawn before third reading.

In fact, the nondiscrimination ordinance wasn’t the only instance of Gotto and Coleman joining forces. The veteran legislators also voted together in support of allowing permit holders to carry guns in Davidson County’s rural parks and greenways. That bill ultimately fizzled out.

Coleman won the Democratic primary last month for the chance to face Gotto in November’s election to replace retiring state Rep. Ben West.

A handful of Metro Council members and other prominent local Democrats and progressives are hosting a fund raiser for Councilman Sam Coleman next week to help his bid to become the next state representative from District 60.

Here’s part of what Councilman Jerry Maynard wrote in his appeal to supporters (Was the lower-case “r” on Republican intentional?):

Sam will serve our community with integrity and honor to move Nashville and our state forward for the prosperity of all Tennesseans.

Although a recent poll shows Sam leading his republican opponent, he needs your help to win in November now. I am asking you to contribute at least $100.00 to Sam’s campaign to insure that our state is united and moves forward in a progressive direction.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/fellow-metro-council-members-raise-money-for-sam-coleman/feed/2Ben West endorses Democrat in his districthttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/ben-west-endorses-democrat-in-his-district/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2010/ben-west-endorses-democrat-in-his-district/#commentsThu, 26 Aug 2010 16:53:28 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=11560State Rep. Ben West Jr., whose loyalties to the Democratic Party have been a little suspect as he’s flirted with the idea that his Hermitage district now leans Republican, says he is supporting Metro Councilman Sam Coleman, the Democratic candidate to succeed him.

“I am casting my total support behind Sam, because he understands the needs of Hermitage, Donelson and Antioch,” West said. “I plan to work tirelessly to ensure that his transition into the state house is a smooth one. I know that he will continue to serve the district in a fine manner.”

(Nashville) — State Representative Ben West, Jr. (D-Hermitage), who is retiring after serving the 60th House district for 26 years, endorsed Metro Councilman Sam Coleman Thursday as his replacement in the upcoming November election.

West was joined in the endorsement by Coleman’s four former opponents from the August Democratic Primary: Larry Crim, Tommy Bradley, Charles Hager and Chris Tobe.

“I am casting my total support behind Sam, because he understands the needs of Hermitage, Donelson and Antioch,” West said. “I plan to work tirelessly to ensure that his transition into the state house is a smooth one. I know that he will continue to serve the district in a fine manner.”

Sam Coleman is an attorney, graduate of the Nashville School of Law, graduate of Tennessee State University and has served Nashville on the Metro Council for seven years. He formerly served the state of Tennessee in the Department of Correction for over 32 years.